A feeling
by aielsoul
Summary: Emma has a feeling.


**This was just something that came to mind, so I put it into print. I hope you enjoy. I do not own ouat or the people or anything, obviously. But I own my thoughts.**

Emptiness was a strange thing to her. She could remember feeling full of life, very nearly complete. But now, only an empitness greeted her when she looked inside herself. She could remember smiling and not having to concentrate to hold it in place. In fact, she remembered when she smiled without even knowing she was smiling; it just happened. But not anymore, not for a while now. It must be the lingering effects of being bound to that dagger. Maybe some sort of residual darkness that made her feel hollow. Killian didn't seem to feel it. Maybe because he wasn't a dark one as long as she was. That was probably it.

Emma jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder, turning quickly to find Snow looking at her curioulsy. "Emma? Are you alright? You've been staring into space for five minutes…"

Forcing that smile was hard, but she usually managed, at least this time she did. "Yeah, I'm okay, just tired I guess."

Snow looked at her with narrowed eyes but as usual, the smile held and finally the woman relaxed, patting her on the shoulder before turning back to the others in the diner. Once she was sure she had convinced Snow, Emma let the smile slip away and returned to staring out the window.

The diner was rather busy tonight, everyone seemed to be having a good time. Well, almost everyone. Emma wasn't really happy, or sad. Just hollow. No one paid much attention to her sitting alone in the furthest booth; she picked it for that exact reason. She was so busy staring into the darkness outside, she didn't even notice someone taking a seat across from her until the woman spoke.

"If you want to tell someone what's going on with you, I'll listen. I also promise not to repeat anything…"

Emma heard the woman, registered the words in her mind and without bothering to look over, she smiled her well practiced smile and spoke her well rehearsed line, "I'm okay, just tired is all." Typically, this is where the other person nods and walks away. A hard kick to the shin from expensive stillettos is not what usually happens. Not at all.

Regina frowned hard at Emma as the blonde grunted loudly and started rubbing her shin while glaring at her. "Lie to me again, please; I enjoy having a reason to kick you."

Emma stared at the brunette with interest now. No one had thought to call her bluff before. "I'm fine Regina, really. Just tired."

Regina smiled sweetly at her and when the blonde relaxed and moved her hand away from her leg, Regina kicked her again. Still smiling, Regina leaned across the table slightly and whispered with a toothy grin, "third times a charm Miss Swan."

Gripping her shin that was thoroughly bruised, Emma decided she couldn't really handle another whack. "I don't really want to talk to anyone about anything. I don't want to talk…" Emma sighed heavily, trying to express with her eyes to Regina that she couldn't really find the words to even try talking.

Regina looked Emma over more thoroughly, noticing the dark circles mostly hidden by makeup under her eyes. She noted the tangles in the blonde hair. She even saw how her clothes seemed a little too loose on her frame. Frowning thoughtfully, Regina was carefully quiet when she asked, "how would you like to go somewhere calmer and quieter?" Emma glanced around, but nodded slowly. Regina waved a hand and they found themselves on a bench by the water. The sudden darkness and quiet was actually somewhat disorienting for a few moments until they gathered their surroundings and relaxed on the bench.

Regin waited a while before speaking, to make sure Emma was calm. "What do you feel, right now?"

Emma was looking out over the water but tried to answer. "I don't know, really. Nothing, but maybe less than nothing. I don't know."

Regina frowned in thought but that wasn't much to go on. "What was the last real thing you felt?"

Emma focused on the question and thought back to when she could last remember feeling anything. "I don't know…"

Rolling her eyes, Regina tried to stay calm, but the blonde was being difficult. "Emma, you must remember feeling something. Think to before you became the dark one."

Emma closed her eyes and recalled many memories that had filled her heart before the darkness consumed it. She remembered Henry smiling at her. She had felt love for him. She remembered cutting Reginas apple tree, she had felt adrenaline and anger. But that was a long time ago. Before the darkness consumed her… She opened her eyes and looked at Regina as she remembered the moment the curse pulled her in. She was looking at Regina then too. She had felt something then…

Regina studied Emmas face and could see something there, but she couldn't tell what it was. "Emma? What do you remember feeling?"

Emma stared at the brunette and all she could see was her eyes. That all she saw from inside the swirling darkness too. It grounded her then, and it was holding her firm now too. "I felt… I just felt… you."

Reginas eyes widened at the statement. "Me? I don't understand. I'm not a feeling Emma."

Emma felt herself smile at the confusion on Reginas face. She didn't make herself smile, it just happened. For the first time in a thousand years, it just happened. "Yeah you are." Then she laughed. It was such a strange thing, feeling herself laugh. She suddenly realized why she felt empty, it was because she was missing a piece. But maybe, maybe she just found it.


End file.
